Gov. Akeredolu defends relocation of Islamic school

The Ondo State Government has said that the relocation of a Muslim primary school in the state was not done out of hatred for the Muslim community or Islamic education .

The government recently relocated the AUD Mega Primary School, Oke Agbe Akoko in Akoko North-West Local Government Area of the state to give room for a proposed campus of the Adekunle Ajasin University in the community.

The action had attracted bitter reactions among Muslim groups in the state, with one of them, the Muslim Rights Concern, alleging that the government was plotting to obliterate Islamic education and by extension, Muslims in the state.

However, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Donald Ojogo, in a statement, described the allegation as unfortunate and unacceptable.

Insisting that the state government made the decision to relocate the primary school in good faith, Ojogo said, “In strong terms, the state government considers unacceptable, the accusation by the Muslim Rights Concern that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu was plotting to obliterate Islamic education and by extension, Muslims in the state.

“The body has alluded to the relocation of the AUD Mega Primary School Oke Agbe Akoko as a basis for the claim. This is far from the truth. Such claim is at variance with the known position of the government in promoting religious harmony in Ondo State.

“For record purposes, the decision to relocate AUD Mega Primary to pave way for a planned campus of the Adekunle Ajasin University was taken in good faith. Succinctly, it could not have been other than the need to expand development through educational infrastructure, if at all.

“The mega school which was originally built to accommodate over 500 pupils but has less than 170 pupils prior to the relocation was undoubtedly, handy for the planned expansion of the AAUA. It is pertinent to note here that other mega schools across the state had in the past, provided infrastructural take-off points for tertiary institutions

“It is imperative to equally state that in the above instances, alternative places were provided, while proper arrangements were made to initiate steps for permanent schools for the pupils without affecting the moral and educational standards.”

According to the commissioner, the government had an alternative arrangement for the pupils of the AUD Mega Primary School, noting that the State Universal Basic Education Board had asked the community to identify a piece of land for the construction of a new permanent site for the school.